1.07.2010

I'm sorry if this post is a little bit late. I know there are some of you who are interested to know what books I've read last year. But work happened. So I wasn't able to make the list right away.

But, anyways, while I haven't read a much new books in 2009 (12 new books), here's my top 9 books.

1. Let The Great World Spin 9.8 Author: Colum McCannThe best book I've read this year. This novel is about different lives and culture colliding everyday, showing us that we're all connected by place or event, whether you're a judge, a housewife, a monk, a prostitute, an artist, a nurse or a high wire walker. Truly, this is beautiful book.

2. When Skateboards Will Be Free 9.5 [Review]Author: Said SayrafeizadehI was so curious about this book's title. So much that I bought it without reading its synopsis. At first, I thought it was about skater culture. But it is actually a memoir of a child growing up a socialist in a capitalist's world. It's the most heartwarming, as well as heartbreaking tale I've read so far.

3. Far North 9.4Author: Marcel TherouxFar North is about a world where global warming has reduced civilization through famine and floods and has turned the once frozen wasteland of Siberia -the setting in the story- a habitable settlement. It may not be as good as The Road. But it's still a good post-apocalyptic fiction.

4. Genesis9.3 [Review]Author: Bernard BeckettSet in a technologically advance island nation, Genesis is a book for the young adult. Hence, the story has no complex plot or sub-plots. But the book is full of philosophical debates, such as modernism vs. traditionalism, that will satiate your intellect. Definitely the best sci-fi I've read this year.

5. Zeitoun 9.0 [Review]Author: Dave EggersZeitoun is a riveting story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian-born American and a well-known contractor in New Orleans, who was falsely accused as a terrorist and was imprisoned by the US Government after being stranded by Hurricane Katrina. The scary part: this book is a non-fiction.

6. The Year of the Flood 8.9Author: Margaret AtwoodOne of the eeriest books I've read. Atwood knows her speculative fiction well. Loosely tied to Oryx and Crake, the setting in this book is a dying world -corporate run and materialistic, where people kill people for sport, food and organs. While still far from our own reality, it's still too possible to happen.

7. The Next 100 Years 8.6 [Review]Author: George FriedmanThis is a non-fiction book the forecasts the future. But it didn't use any crystal ball as a guide. Instead, it's written with the best geopolitical insights. While it's too American-centric, I enjoyed reading it because I learned a lot about the upcoming technology, like hypersonic jets and wireless energy transfer.

8. The Book of Dead Philosophers 8.5 [Review]Author: Simon CritchleyI bought this book only because I wanted to learn about various philosophers, and maybe even study their work. But this book turned out to be a miscellany of anecdotes and short writings of the deaths of some 190 philosophers. Still a lot of fun to read though, and you do learn a lot of philosophy from it.

9. Lowboy 8.4 [Review]Author: John WrayThe story in this book is about a schizophrenic boy who's off his meds and wandering underground the New York subway system, with a mission to save the world from global warming. While I didn't like its story, it's still an interesting read because it lets the readers experience schizophrenia.

Well, that's that. Hopefully, I'd be able to read more new books this 2010 (I'm aiming for 20) so I could make a better list for next year.

@gill: Yeah, comics is like weed. You need to trim it down once in a while or it would spiral out of control. But The Book of Dead Philosophers is an awesome book. You should get it once it becomes available there.

@Andrei: I would let you borrow my books if could, dude. But I get that a lot from people, that they don't know what I read or listen to. Some comments in here are even rude, saying that I'm trying hard to be a different. I'm not trying to be different -I already am, I think- I'm just trying to share what I know.

Profile

About

Nuclear Medicine is having a dry spell as of late. As a result, I couldn't get a job in the field. So, for the meantime, I'm content of being a lesser wage slave and just distracted myself with games, books, comics, music and other geeky things. Hopefully, this spell blows over before I realize it.